Coin-dispensing apparatus



E. H. THOMPSON.

COIN DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 21. 1918. IIENEwED IUNE 27. I92I.

] 40;4,909, i Patented Jan. 3l, A922...

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E. H. THOMPSON.

COIN DISPENSING APPARATUS.

-APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 191s. RENEwEn lum; 27.`192|. f

Patented Jan. 3l, i922.

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ERNEST H. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SSIGNOR TO JOHNSON FARE BOX CO.,

v A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Moreno.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aan. si, ieee.

Application led June 21, 1918, Serial No.. 241,122. Renewed .Tune 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,910.

T o aZZ whom t may concern Y Be it known that I, ERNEST H. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful lfmprovements in Coin-Dispensing Apparatus, of which the lfollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to coin dispensing apparatus such as may be conveniently set up in places where change is required and which may be attached to the belt or garments of conductors. The nature ofthe improvements will appear from the specification.

A An example of the improved coin dispensing apparatus is illustrated in the' drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view similar to the lower part of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view showin the relation between four of the slides; Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view; Fig. 7 is a bottom view with the bottom plate and the actuating mechanism of Fig. 6 removed; and Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 7 but showin the slides in different relations.

e device as illustrated eomprisesfthree coin containers a, b and c, constructed preferably in the form of cylinders and adapted to contain respectivel a .supply of quarters, nickels and dimes..e Tilese cylinders, e, b and c are filled by i "sorting the coins through slots Z suitably located at the upper portion thereolf, the up-per part of the cylinders being otherwise closed to prevent the withdrawal or ejectment of the coins at this point; apertures e may be provided in the cylinders to indicate when the supply of coins in the reservoirs becomes low. The cylinders a, b and c, are carried by a plate 7 and may be connected therewith4 in any suitable manner as for instance by having their lower ends soldered to or otherwise formed as an integral part of said plate f, the latter being formed with openings oorresponding to and registering with the lower open ends of said cylinders as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The plate f is so shaped as to provide guideways for the coin ejecting slides, which, 'in the drawings, are designated -as g, h, z', j and Ic, and are provided with suitable lejector orifices or recesses adapted,v in

the normal positions olf the slides, to regis-v ter with the cylinders a, b and c, and more fully referred to hereinafter, said slides being held in place from below by a plate Z,

whereby the apparatus may be secured in proper operative position upon-the person of a conduct-or or other individual receiving money or making change. rllhe plate Z is provided with semi-circular recesses m, at the forward edge thereof, each recess corresponding with the rear inner edge of the coin ejecting recess or orifice of the cooperating slide, said late Z being also provided with a downwar y extending fiange n. Pins or rods o each have one end secured to said flange n and the ot'her end secured to the plate p so that said' pins or rods o extend between the flange n and plate p in parallel and spaced relation lfor the purpose to be more fully explained further on in the description. The slide g, used as the ejector for the reservoir containing quarters, has an ejector orifice or recess corresponding in the size and shape to a quarter and normally registerin with the cylinder a so that one quarter will at all times lie within the said slide. ln the normal sition of t'he apparatus, the bottom plate will prevent the coins from fallin through. The slide g at the rear thereo terminates in a finger piece r which projects through a suitable opening Z2 in the plate Z and is ided on one of the pins o which extends t erethrough lfor this purpose as shown in Fig. 2. The springs g which surround each of said pins o are compressib-le between the finger piece r andthe fiange n of the plate Z and serve to maintain and return sai-d slide g in and t'o its position of rest. When, therefore, the finger piece 7' and with it the slide g is drawn forward,

the quarter which is containedl in the slide together, cause two nickels to be dropped at.

`slides and of the ejector orifice or recess of the slide coincides with the corresponding recess m df the plate Z, whereupon the co1n is .released and falls from the ejector slide while the balance of the coins in the reservoir are prevented from falling out because the rear part of the slide and the plate Z are in the way. The cooperating spring g then returns the slide to its normal position, whereupon the column of quarters descends to the extent of the thickness olf one coin, the bottom coin being then again located within the recess of the ejector slide.

The general operation of the remaining ejectors is substantially similar to that described with respect to the ejector for the columny containing quarters. The arrangement of the remaining slides, however, is such that by the use of selective finger pieces change can be made either for one dime or for a quarter, and in the vlatter case the 4change may. consist either oftwo dimes and a nickel or of five nickels. This is accomplished by providing the reservoir I), adapted to containnickels, with three superposed slides, the top one h accommodating three nickels while each of the lower slides c' and j accommodate but one nickel.

The slide c for the dimes is adapted to contain two coins.

The action of these four slides is clearly1 illustrated in Fig. 5. r The operation is such that when the selective finger piece s is operated it will ,draw forward the two lower slides 'i and y' of the nickel container without causing any movemest of the slide h. The two slidesz' and y', moving forward each o-peration, thus providing change for a dime whenever desired. If five nickels are wanted in change for a quarter, the finger piece t is operated, which will cause the three slides h, c' and j to move forward together, thus permitting the ejectment of five nickels at each operation. If, on. the other hand, change consisting of two dimes and a nickel is desired, the 'finger piece u is drawn forward, which will cause movement of the dime slide lc and the lowermost nickel slide y', ths releasing two dimes and a nickel at once. A guide finger v is interposed in the path of the falling nickels so as to guide them into the hand of the operator, so that dimes and nickels will fall together in the same general direction instead of decending as separate columns.

As before stated, the entire alpparatus is fastened to a rear plate p, which extends below the bottom of the ejector slides where it forms a smooth guiding plate for the fingers, leaving room approximating the thickness of the finger between the plate and the downwardly projecting parts of the finger pieces n s, t and u, thereby assistingthe fingers to find their proper' places and .tion either with .ina

'small Ifinger.

at the same time forming a smooth bearing against which the fingers may rest in exerting pressure on the finger pieces.

The particular mechanism by which the various slides are caused to act is best shown in Fig. 5. From this 'figure it appears that the lowermost nickel slide y' is not movable by itself but can only be moved in cooperathe middle nickel slide z' or the dime slide 7c, It is, however, springcontrolled as the result of the projection fw abutting againstone of the coil springs q manner similar to the abutment of such a spring against the finger pieces of the other slides. When the dime slide k moves in the 'direction of the arrow, it will move with it the nickel slide j by reason of the abutment of the finger piece u with the projection mounted on the nickel slide j. The remaining two nickel slides. will be unaffected by this movement. If, on the other hand, it is desired to eject two nickels only, the selective finger piece s is moved in the direction of the arrow and abutting as it does against the slide y', draws this forward without affecting either the nickel slide 71, or the dime slide k. lf five nickels are desired, thefinger piece t is moved forward and by its'abutment with the slide z' moves that slide forward, thus in turn also moving forward the slide j, so that these three slides moveforward together without causing movement in the dime slide la. It is apparent that this co-acting system of slides can be varied to bring about a number of different combinations, but those shown are sufficient to make change forfunds of all denominations with respect to which a fiv cent piece is to be present in the change.

The device, as illustrated, is adapted for operation by the left hand because the finger piece r which controls the quarter reservoir will offer the least resistance to the fingers and.is, therefore, placed in the path of the The slide s, which offers greater resistance (.two springs being required to be compressed) is arranged to be actuated by the ring finger. The slide t, which has three springs to compress, operated byj'the middle finger, while the slide uV is operated by the index finger. `The mechanism when adapted for operation by the right hand will be preferably reversed so that the quarter and dime columns change places,togetherwiththeirrespectiveoperating parts, and the finger pieces t and s are correspondingly transposed.` if desired,- the finger pieces 13,3, t and 'w may be constructed so as to be readily distinguished, one from the other, by the sense of touch.

An important consideration in apparatus of this kind is thatl which flows from the fact that coins of one denomination are seldom of uniform thickness. New coins are thicker than old coins. In order recaen@ Should coins of lesser thickness be contained in the column, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, the mechanism would be clogged were it not for the fact that l have provided the rear portion of the ejector slides with the beveled or inclined surfaces y. The forward edge of this bevel is so located in each case that it'will be lower than the top of the coin of the required denomination whether all the coins are thin or all the coins are thick. rllhis forwardedge of the bevel is also located above the lower surface of the top coin whether of maximum thickness or of minimum thickness. 'llhe result of this arrangement is that no matter what the thickness of the coins may be, only.

the required number will be ejected, the coin next above, if it projects into the -path of the moving slide, will be prevented from forward movement by the edges .e of the reservoir above. As the slide moves forward thus protected by the overhanging elements of the apparatus, such as the plate Z against unintentional operation and also against contact with extraneous objects such as, for instance, the clothing of passers-by. injury to said clothing or to the apparatus, or to both,

`is thus prevented.

It is manifest that the apparatus described is capable of numerous modifications.

within the scope of the invention and the claims hereto appended are intended to cover any such modifications or developments.

claim:

l. ln a coin dispensing apparatus, the combination of a plurality of coinl receptacles adapted to contain coins of different denominations, ejector slides whereby coins are discharged from said receptacles, means whereby said slides are selectively operated` either individually or in predetermined combination, and means whereby the operation of said slides is yieldingly resisted in varyint;v degrees in accordance'with the operative selection, the operative means belng disl' posed in positions of ready accessibility to -the fingers having muscular power best adapted to overcome said dierent degrees of resistance.

2. lln a coin dispensing apparatus, the combination of a plurality of coin receptacles located adjacent to each other, a group of ejector slides located in superimposed relation at the discharge end of one receptacle, an individual ejector slide located at the dis'- charge end of another receptacle and adjacent to said group of slides, finger pieces on certain of said group of slides arranged to engage others of said group of slides whereby the latter are selectively coupled together and actuated, a projection extending laterally from one of said groups of slides and a finger piece on said individual slide arranged to engage said projection whereby said last two mentioned slides are coupled together and coincidentally actuated independently of the vother slides in said group.

ln'testimony whereofl have hereunto set m hand.

y rERNEST H. THOMPSON. 

